Ivan Rostov was only a little over a year old when his father and mother defected to the US during the height of the Cold War. His father was a low-level KGB operative that wanted his son to have a chance to live free and be able to make his own choices in life, and even though he wasn't privy to many of the USSR’s secrets what he did know was valuable to the US government. After months of questioning during which Ivan’s family was kept cloistered away on a military base, they were given a new life in New York City. His father worked primarily as an adviser of Russian affairs with the CIA, but never really had many true duties, since the US wanted to keep him close but didn't want him to have access to any of our information (just in case he should have a change of heart), while his mother found work as a waitress at a local diner.

Ivan grew up to be a good athlete and a decent student; becoming a good football player, though he never cared much for studying. His true passion was New York’s subway system. From the time that he was young, he was fascinated with subways. After graduation, he passed on a couple athletic scholarships to mid-major universities to play football and went into construction, getting a job with the New York Transit Authority. He was in heaven.

Most of his duties were menial. Ivan worked hard though, and over the years became a crew supervisor working on old, decommissioned lines to keep them structurally sound or ready them for reopening.

While working on the 63rd street line in 2000, a section of wall was found to house a small compartment. Inside the small alcove hidden behind the wall was an ornate chest of mahogany and covered with strange runes. Ivan took the box back to his office. The box was locked with what looked like a padlock without any discernible keyhole. As Ivan touched the lock, the runes on the chest began to glow and the lock popped open and fell off while the chest opened. Inside was a plain looking silver bracer with three runes carved along the outer side. Ivan, a little creeped out, was curious. He slipped the bracer onto his arm and was shocked to see plate armor appear over his body and feel power coursing through his body.

As he was marveling at the power in this simple bracer, a ghostly image of a knight appeared before him. The knight revealed himself to be the ghost of Sir Gawain and that he was chosen to carry on his fight against the forces of darkness. The ghost warned Ivan that the bracer has a dark twin that has likely been found as well to keep balance in the world, and to be wary of who carries Mordred’s Bracer, for he is likely as black-hearted as the half-blood Prince once was.

Ivan was dumbfounded. He asked the ghost why he was selected, and Gawain said that he was a man of pure spirit, even if he did not realize such. It was to be his destiny to fight evil aided by the magic in the Bracer of Avalon that he now holds. Gawain told Ivan about dark times ahead for mankind and it will take men of strong will and a sense of honor and justice to guide mankind through the darkness. With that, the ghost bid Ivan good luck and faded away.

Ivan found some old subway memorabilia and put it in the chest to make it look like an elaborate time capsule and turned it over to his boss. The chest, while found to be of Gaelic origins and was at least 600 years old, was taken by the historical society and placed on display.

Over the next few weeks, Ivan became acclimated to his new found powers. He learned that the bracer gave him super-strength and invulnerability. The armor could be called upon and dismissed with a thought, even modified to give it a more “modern” look. At first a sword was called up with the armor, but since Ivan didn't know how to use a sword, that power was funneled into his fists (Ivan boxes to stay in shape) and the sword no longer appears when the armor is called upon.

Before long, Ivan took his first steps into becoming a super-hero. While he didn't always catch the crooks, they rarely got away with their ill-gotten gains. It was tough at first to juggle work and being a hero, but he’s getting the hang of things.

After a couple months of being on patrol in New York, he caught a report about a lunatic clad in black armor horrifically slaughtering people in the back alleyways of Hell’s Kitchen. Ivan, who had taken the name of Power Knight, started patrolling the area. Within a week’s time, he met his shadowed twin.

The man called himself Death Knight and told Ivan in no uncertain terms what was going to befall him and all those around him if he didn't give up the Bracer of Avalon. The battle nearly leveled a city block and left 13 people dead. Ivan was finally able to drive off his evil twin and save several people trapped in a building that caught fire during the battle, but the deaths of those he wasn't able to save weighed heavily on him, since he should have been able to drive his foe to battle away from others. Being a hero was so easy when he was taking down common hoods, but now it was a whole new ballgame. He swore that he would bring the Death Knight to justice and make amends to the families of those killed during his careless battle.

Ivan nearly bankrupted himself donating money to the families of those that died during his fight. It was money he was glad to pay, and hoped eased some of the suffering he unwittingly caused. Since then, he’s been much more observant of where he fights his foes.

A couple months ago, he was approached by Hero Prime of the super-group The Guardians asking him to join. Ivan accepted and has been an integral part of the team ever since.

Ivan is a bald man with a red goatee and bright green eyes. He has the build of a linebacker and has a very laid-back and jovial mood. His accent is a strange mix of northeastern American with a touch of Russian in some of the harder consonants. His Power Knight armor is a silver breastplate, leggings, and boots over a black jumpsuit. A winged helmet that only leaves his chin and mouth uncovered covers his head and protects his identity.